Fishing, a troubled industry in Kerala
Update: Please see my recently completed photo essay.
We have been working on a project about the troubled fishing industry in Kerala. Almost all of the people we have talked to say that since the tsunami there have been very little fish. From the fishermen to the women fish vendors, the whole industry and way of life is in trouble. The fishermen who go out six days a week are pulling in a sellable catch only one or two days, and most of the fish that the fish vendors are selling don’t even come from Kerala, they come from neighboring states, either Tamil Nadu or Karnataka.Traditional fishing villages all along the coast of south Kerala, where as many as 50% of the residents are involved in the fishing industry in one way or another, are losing their way of life. Some fishermen can’t afford to risk the cost of fuel to go fishing every day, and have resorted to using row boats, small canoes or using shore-seine, a no-risk method of fishing, but with a much lower potential catch. Many fishermen, however, now spend the day on the beach watching others try their luck at fishing, playing cards, or drinking. Oftentimes so little is caught that it is only suitable for subsistence use. The man in the second photo spent half a day fishing and caught only the shellfish you see next to him, no fish. Making matters worse, the Indian government plans to divert tsunami relief funds to fund tourism projects. Beth and I will post a complete story in a few days when we have finished and have an opportunity to edit.
